Evolution Site - Teaching About Evolution
Despite the best efforts of biology educators, misconceptions about evolution remain. People who have absorbed the nonsense of pop science often believe that biologists are saying they do not believe in evolution.
This rich Web site, a companion to the PBS program that provides teachers with resources which support evolution education, while avoiding the kinds of misconceptions which undermine it. It's laid out in a nested "bread crumb" format for ease of navigation and orientation.
Definitions
It is difficult to effectively teach evolution. It is often misunderstood even by non-scientists, and even scientists have been guilty of using an interpretation that is confusing the issue. This is especially applicable to debates about the definition of the word itself.
It is important to define terms used in evolutionary biology. The website for the PBS show, Understanding Evolution, does this in a clear and helpful way. The site is both an accompaniment to the 2001 series, but it is also a resource on its own. The information is presented in an organized way that makes it easy to navigate and understand.
The site defines terms like common ancestor, gradual process and so on. These terms help frame the nature and significance of evolution with other scientific concepts. The website then provides an overview of how the concept of evolution has been tested and verified. This information can be used to dispel misconceptions that have been propagated by the creationists.
You can also access a glossary that includes terms used in evolutionary biology. These terms include:
The process of adaptation is the tendency of hereditary traits to become more suitable to their environment. This is due to natural selection, which occurs when organisms that have better-adapted traits are more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less adapted traits.
Common ancestor: The most recent common ancestor of two or more different species. By analyzing the DNA from these species it is possible to identify the common ancestor.
Deoxyribonucleic acid: A huge biological molecule that contains information required for cell replication. The information is contained in a sequence of nucleotides that are strung together to form long chains, also known as chromosomes. Mutations are the basis for new genetic information in cells.
에볼루션 게이밍 is a relationship between two species where evolutionary changes in one species are affected by changes in evolutionary processes in the other. Examples of coevolution include the interactions between predator and prey, or the parasite and the host.
Origins
Species (groups that can crossbreed), evolve by a series of natural variations in the traits of their offspring. 에볼루션 슬롯 can be caused by various factors, including natural selection, gene drift, and mixing of the gene pool. The evolution of a new species can take thousands of years and the process may be slowed or increased by environmental conditions such as climate change or the competition for food or habitat.
The Evolution site tracks the evolution of a variety of species of plants and animals over time, focusing on the major shifts that occurred throughout the evolution of each group's history. It also examines the evolution of humans and is a subject that is particularly important to students.
Darwin's Origin was published in 1859, at a time when only a few antediluvian fossils of humans were discovered. The famous skullcap, along with the bones that accompanied it were discovered in 1856 in the Little Feldhofer Grotto of Germany. It is now known as an early Homo neanderthalensis. It is unlikely that Darwin was aware of the skullcap, which was first published in 1858, which was a year after the first edition of The Origin. Origin.
The site is mostly one of biology however it also includes many details on paleontology and geology. Among the best features on the site are a series of timelines which show the way in which climatic and geological conditions have changed over time and an interactive map of the geographical distribution of some fossil groups listed on the site.
Although the site is a companion to a PBS television show, it also stands on its own as a great resource for teachers and students. The site is extremely well organized and provides clear links between the introductory content in Understanding Evolution (developed with support from the National Science Foundation) and the more specialized elements of the museum Web site. These hyperlinks help users move from the engaging cartoon style of the Understanding Evolution pages to the more sophisticated world of research science. There are links to John Endler's experiments with guppies. They illustrate the importance of ecology in evolutionary theory.
Diversity
The evolution of life on Earth has led to a wide variety of plants, animals, and insects. Paleobiology is the study of these creatures in their geological context and has many advantages over the modern observational and research methods of examining evolutionary processes. Paleobiology is able to study not just the processes and events that occur frequently or over time, but also the distribution and frequency of different groups of animals in space throughout the geological time.
The site is divided into various options to study the subject of evolution. One of these paths, "Evolution 101," takes the viewer through the evolution of nature and the evidence of evolution. The course also focuses on common misconceptions about evolution and the evolution theory's history.
Each of the main sections of the Evolution website is equally well-developed, and includes materials that support a variety curriculum levels and teaching styles. In addition to general textual content, the site features an array of interactive and multimedia resources like videos, animations, and virtual laboratories. The breadcrumb-like arrangement of the content assists with navigation and orientation on the large web site.
The page "Coral Reef Connections" For instance, it provides a comprehensive overview of coral relationships and interactions with other organisms, and then is enlarged to show one clam that is able to communicate with its neighbours and respond to changes in the water conditions that occur on the reef level. This page, along with the other multidisciplinary, multimedia, and interactive pages on the website, provide an excellent introduction to the broad spectrum of topics in evolutionary biology. The material also provides an explanation of the role of natural selection as well as the concept of phylogenetic analysis, which is a key tool in understanding evolutionary change.
Evolutionary Theory
For biology students the concept of evolution is a major thread that weaves together all branches of the field. A rich collection of resources helps teachers teach about evolution across the life sciences.
One resource, which is the companion to PBS's television show Understanding Evolution is an excellent example of a Web page that offers both depth as well as broadness in terms of educational resources. The site features a wide range of interactive learning modules. It also has a nested "bread crumb" structure that helps students move from the cartoon style of Understanding Evolution to elements on this large Web site more closely linked to the world of research science. For instance, an animation introducing the notion of genetic inheritance leads to a page that focuses on John Endler's experiments with artificial selection with guppies in native ponds of Trinidad.
Another resource that is worth mentioning is the Evolution Library on this web website, which includes an extensive multimedia library of items related to evolution. The content is organized according to courses that are based on curriculum and follow the learning objectives outlined in the biology standards. It contains seven short videos intended for use in the classroom. They can be streamed or purchased as DVDs.
Evolutionary biology remains an area of study that poses many important questions to answer, such as what causes evolution and the speed at which it happens. This is especially true for human evolution, where it's been difficult to reconcile the notion that the innate physical characteristics of humans derived from apes and religious beliefs that hold that humanity is unique in the universe and has a special place in creation with a soul.
In addition there are a myriad of ways in which evolution could occur with natural selection being the most widely accepted theory. However scientists also study different types of evolution such as genetic drift, mutation, and sexual selection, among others.
While many fields of scientific study conflict with literal interpretations found in religious texts, evolution biology has been a source of intense debate and resistance from religious fundamentalists. While certain religions have managed to reconcile their beliefs with the ideas of evolution, others aren't.